The Infiniti Q70 – which until the start of 2013 was called the Infiniti M – has been given a facelift for 2015, which sees the introduction of a new diesel engine, extra equipment available as standard and a new sharper design bringing the saloon closer aligned to the recently launched Q50.
Set to rival the likes of the BMW 5 Series, the Jaguar XF and Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class, Infiniti is hoping the latest revisions will help the saloon secure a bigger chunk of the sales.
The upgraded line-up starts with a new Q70 2.2d model, powered by a four-cylinder diesel engine developed as part of Infiniti’s strategic cooperation with Daimler. Replacing the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the new engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission and emits 129g/km of CO2, placing it into a 21 percent BIK tax band for the current 2014/15 tax year (23 percent from April) – not bad considering there is 167bhp and 400Nm of torque at your disposal.
Infiniti has worked on the Q70’s refinement too, promising a better-insulated cabin and better ride quality thanks to reworked suspension.
As well as the new 2.2 diesel engine, the Q70 is also available with both 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine and a hybrid powertrain, the latter accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds with CO2 emissions at 145g/km meaning a 22 percent BIK tax band for the current tax year.
Available in a choice of four trims, Premium, Sport, Premium Tech and Sport Tech, the entry-level Premium model is expected to be the most popular.
Priced from £32,650, standard kit includes full LED headlights, chromed accents on the front grille, a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, sat- nav, 18-inch wheels and leather seats.
Moving up to sport adds exterior design enhancements and 20-inch alloy wheels. Tech models come with Infiniti’s Dynamic Safety Shield (intelligent cruise control, lane departure prevention and blind-spot intervention), Bose Premium Surround Sound with 16 speakers and Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection and Forest air-conditioning.
The revised Infiniti Q70 is available to order now.
